WESTSIDE — Harps Food Stores, Inc., plans to acquire nine Walmart properties in Arkansas and Missouri, according to a June 8 news release from the company.
Walmart announced early this year plans to close 154 stores across the country, including those in Gentry, Gravette, Prairie Grove and Decatur.
The Harps' deal is scheduled to close later this month, according to the news release.
"Specific information on store reopenings will not be finalized until after the acquisition is complete," the news release stated.
The Arkansas stores in the deal are Gravette, Gentry, Prairie Grove, Cedarville, Mansfield and Charleston. The Missouri stores are in Anderson, Seligman and Noel. The Decatur Neighborhood Market store which was also closed was not included in the Harps' purchase.
According to J. Max Van Hoose, vice president of store planning for Harps, the company does not plan to reopen the Walmart Express store location in Gentry as a grocery store since it is already renovating another larger store location in Gentry. He said further information on plans for the other store locations would be released in a few weeks. He said no other Walmart store acquisitions are being made at the present time.
Van Hoose said the new Gentry Harps' location, at the intersection of Arkansas Highways 12 and 59, is on schedule to open the latter part of September. Renovation work is currently underway at the store which used to be a Marvin's Foods Store.
According to an announcement made March 7 by Gentry's mayor, Kevin Johnston, at the city council meeting, a new Harps store would be located at the site of the old Marvin's store on the corner of Arkansas Highways 12 and 59, but a complete remodel of the old store building was planned first.
Harps Food Stores, with offices in Springdale, issued a release on March 8 announcing the purchase of the James Property building in Gentry, at the intersection of Gentry Blvd. (Arkansas Hwy. 59) and E. 3rd Street (Arkansas Hwy. 12).
"The acquisition of the property, where a grocery store was in operation a few years ago, continues the Harps growth pattern of continually seeking new locations for their stores," the release stated.
"The structure of the store is approximately 23,500 square feet and, after major remodeling, will once again provide a local grocery store for Gentry and the surrounding area," the release stated. "The Harps store will feature a wide variety of groceries, fresh-cut beef, pork and poultry and fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as deli and bakery selections."
According to the March 8 release, Harps is the largest employee-owned company headquartered in Arkansas and currently operates 80 stores in northern and central Arkansas, southern Missouri and eastern Oklahoma. Harps was opening a new store in Waldron on March 9, to replace an older building purchased a few years earlier. In addition, Harps was working on new-store projects in Vilonia and in De Soto, Kan. Both stores were expected to open in the fall of 2016.
General News on 06/15/2016